If you recently received a ticket, either for speeding, reckless driving, texting while driving, or otherwise, you can depend on our Richmond traffic violation attorney to fight your ticket at every turn. Contact James A. Bullard Jr. P.C. today to learn more about the consequences of traffic violations in Virginia and how our legal team can help you fight them.
Should I Hire a Richmond Traffic Violation Attorney?
Traffic violations can have far-reaching implications; perhaps even severer than you may think, which is why it is always best to proceed with an experienced and aggressive Richmond traffic violations attorney in your corner.
Our Legal Services
Our legal team handles the gamut of traffic violations here in Virginia, including the following:
- Speeding Tickets: Most of us are guilty of speeding from time to time, but a speeding ticket can drastically affect an individual for years down the road. Our firm is here to help fight your ticket.
- Reckless Driving: Reckless driving charges are perhaps the most severe traffic violations one can face, and in fact, they are often charged as misdemeanors, which means upon conviction, you will most likely develop a criminal record. You mustn’t proceed without an attorney on your side.
- Cell Phone Violations: Using a cell phone while driving is dangerous, and Virginia traffic courts will punish all those charged with cell phone violations, such as texting while driving.
- Driving Without a License: Driving without a valid driver’s license or with a suspended license can significantly impact a person for years. Give us a call today so we can begin fighting your charges.
Traffic Violations Broken Down by Demerit Points
As you may know, each time you are found guilty of a moving violation, you will most likely receive points on your license. If you accumulate 12 demerit points within 12 months or 24 demerit points within 18 months, you will enter a probationary period. If you accrue any additional demerit points within 6 months of the date your probation started, you will most likely have your license suspended. Rather obviously, the ramifications of demerit points on your license can have far-reaching implications, which is why it is so important that you hire an experienced Richmond traffic violations attorney to combat your charges.
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, traffic infractions are broken down into categories of demerit points. The worst infractions receive the greatest number of demerit points. The demerit point system in Virginia is broken down as follows:
- 6-Point Violations: Reckless driving, driving under the influence, manslaughter, license/permit offenses, commercial motor vehicle offenses, emergency vehicle violations (that lead to death), failing to stop at the scene of a crash, attempting to elude police, blocking access to a service facility, vehicular assault, injuring a person when racing, and more, are all 6-point violations.
- 4-Point Violations Inc: Speeding, passing when unsafe, passing to the left of an approaching vehicle, failure to stop for a pedestrian, failure to yield right-of-way, failure to yield to a funeral procession, failure to drive on the right half of highway or street, following too closely, improper signal, failure to obey a railroad crossing signal, failure to obey a traffic signal, aggressive driving, emergency vehicle violations that lead to injury or property damage, and more, are all 4-point violations.
- 3-Point Violations: Speeding 1-9 mph above the posted speed limit, impeding traffic, improper passing, driving over a fire hose, driving through a safety zone, improper stopping on a highway, change of course after signaling, improper U-turn, violation of turn right on red, failure to obey a highway sign, failure to dim headlights, and more, are all 3-point violations.
You should also understand that aside from a prospective suspension of your license, there is a very good chance that your insurance premiums will spike after receiving points on your license. This means that even after you pay your initial fines, you can expect to pay higher insurance premiums for months, or even years down the line. Our Richmond traffic violation attorney is prepared to fight your charges, every step of the way.
Potential Defenses Against Traffic Violations
Fortunately, with an experienced attorney on your side, there are a wide array of potential defenses available to fight your ticket. Some of the most common defenses against traffic violations are as follows:
- Challenging the officer’s observations. For example, if a police officer wrote you a ticket for running a stop sign, we may be able to argue that the officer was not in a position where he or she could have accurately determined whether you did, in fact, come to a complete stop.
- Challenging the accuracy of the officer’s radar gun. In many cases, you can beat a speeding ticket by proving that the officer’s radar gun wasn’t properly calibrated, thereby making any evidence of speeding inadmissible in court. We can also work to prove that the radar device itself was defective.
- We can argue that the reason you violated the traffic law was out of absolute necessity. For example, if you are charged with speeding, but you were only speeding to transport someone to a hospital or otherwise deal with a serious emergency, we may successfully fight the speeding ticket.
Rather obviously, these are just some of the potential defenses we may use to combat your traffic ticket, which is why you should speak with our legal team as soon as you can so we can assess your case and determine the best possible defense going forward.
Contact a Richmond Traffic Violation Attorney
We know how stressful it can be for someone to receive a traffic ticket of any kind, as they often have a lot on the line. Here at James A. Bullard Jr. P.C., we make our clients our number one priority. We will happily guide you through every step of the legal process ahead in an effort to mitigate the consequences of your ticket or, in the best cases, have your traffic ticket dropped altogether. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation with our competent legal team.
